This is the first of a series of Christmas gift guides for 2018, and today we’re starting with something quirky and fun. One of my earliest festive memories was watching someone tap and unwrap a Terry’s chocolate orange, and I still think it’s a classic Christmassy flavour combination, although I now prefer some of the more grown up versions instead.

Here’s my guide to some of the best cocoa-citrus goodies around right now, with prices starting from as low as 99p and plenty of offers to make the most of. Get some of these into those Christmas stockings…

Alternative chocolate orange food & drink

Give a small, thoughtful gift or pick up some bigger tasty treats to serve at home, the choice is yours. These are some of the most interesting combinations of flavours, so you can give them something a bit different. Look out for notes of clementine, tangerine, bitter orange and orange blossom as well as orange oil and candied peel, plus some complex and unexpected flavour combinations to tickle those tastebuds.

Top row, left to right:

• Seed & Bean sweet orange and thyme chocolate bar (85g) and mandarin and ginger extra dark bar, £2.69 each. These are Fairtrade, vegan and organic, but most of all they’re unusual and delicious. There’s also a milk chocolate tangerine bar for the same price.
• Rosie Lee Tea chocolate orange tea, prices from £2.25. A warming black tea with orange flowers, citrus peel, cocoa and vanilla. You may also like their herbal gingerbread tea blend.
• Hotel Chocolat enrobed oranges in Cointreau, £9.00 each, or 3 mix-and-match boxes for £22.00.
• Dark Matter chocolate orange rum liqueur, on offer for £15.00 at Tesco this week. Christmas in a bottle.

Middle row:

• Sweet Freedom orange spice choc shot, £3.59 at Holland & Barrett. Dairy free chocolate fruit syrup for mixing into hot drinks or drizzling over food. Also at larger supermarkets including Sainsbury’s.
• Whittard orange hot chocolate, £6.50. A good looking tub of zesty hot chocolate for mixing with hot milk. Also available at Ocado.
• That Boutique-y Gin Company chocolate orange gin, £33.95 at Master of Malt. Dry, delicate flavours of cocoa and citrus ideal for sipping over ice or making martinis.
• Rococo Chocolate orange marmalade bar, with flavours of caramelised bitter orange and lime, and orange blossom neroli bar with delicate floral notes, £5.50 each.

Bottom row:

• Bailey’s Orange Truffle cream liqueur, 1 litre on special offer for £12.00 at Tesco this week. Tastes like liquid boozy Terry’s chocolate orange, and this is a great price for a bottle with an RRP of £20. Drink neat over lots of ice, mix with Kaluha or hazelnut liqueur, or add to coffee.
• Belgian orange crunch chocolate thins, £2.99 at Lakeland. Delicate leaves of chocolate with orange oil and rice crisp pieces, nice with desserts or a cup of tea.
• Cocoa Libre chocolate orange santas and reindeers, £3.00. Dairy-free stocking fillers for kids and big kids alike.
• Morrisons The Best brandy, chocolate and orange panettone, £10.00. Full of chocolate chips and orange peel, infused with brandy and topped with chocolate flakes. This is beautifully boxed and would make a great gift for the host or hostess if you’re visiting friends.

Chocolate orange beauty & home

The treats keep on coming. The classic festive fragrance combination of chocolate and orange goes far beyond food and drink, which is great for anyone who can’t have too much sugar. Here are my top picks for scented candles, flavoured lip balm and a whole load of pampering and beauty treats to put into those gift bags, mini hampers and Christmas stockings.

Top row, left to right:

• White Rabbit chocolate orange lipbalm, £7.00 at Not On The High Street. Award winning vegan beauty.
• I Heart Revolution chocolate orange eye shadow palette, £8.99. Nice quality warm toned palette with a light choc orange fragrance in a choc bar cover. Also in the Superdrug 3-for-2 offer on all makeup and accessories right now.
• Grounded chocolate orange coffee body scrub, £7.95 for 100g. This natural body exfoliator is huge blogger favourite this year, say no more.

Middle row, left to right:

• Montezuma’s gift set, £22.59, with a Parkminster orange blosson reed diffuser and a bar of their bestselling Space Hopper orange chocolate.
• Avon chocolate and orange glass candle, £6.00, and Avon chocolate & orange bubble bath, 1 litre for £2.50. You might be interested in their chocolate and orange reed diffuser too, £6.00, or their Far Away Rebel perfume, on offer for £7.00, which has gourmand notes of chocolate, salted caramel, cassis and orange blossom.
• Lush Whipstick chocolate orange lip balm, £7.50. Cruelty free balm, suitable for vegetarians. They also have a nice chocolate lip scrub, £6.50, with tangerine and sweet orange oil.

Bottom row, left to right:

• Superdrug chocolate orange self heating face mask, 99p. A cute little stocking filler for pampering on cold evenings. In the Superdrug 3-for-2 offer on face masks.
• Clovelly Candle Co chocolate orange tin candle, £12.99. A handmade candle made with natural soy wax and high quality aromatherapy oils. You can also buy directly from the makers, along with matching soap, wax melts, gift sets and room spray.
• Lily Flame festive cheer scented reed diffuser, on offer for £15.00. With notes of chocolate, gingerbread, tangerines and nuts, this is heavy on the cloves and very Christmassy.

That’s all for this particular gift guide, but there will be more coming soon. Do you like the look of any of these stocking fillers and treats? Have any of the offers caught your eye?